Bones Season 2 Episode 2 The Body in the Bar
by thingsgetdamaged
Summary: The next episode from The Body in the Cave. Brennan and the gang go to a halloween party that has some interesting results.


Bones

Season 2 Episode 2

"The Body in the Bar"

"Listen Bones. I'm not so sure about this."

"Oh be quiet. You look great."

"Yeah sure I do. I look like an extra from some dodgy western." Brennan giggled as Booth straightened the collar on his shirt. She shuffled her feet inside her shoes, already feeling her heels burning. She handed Booth his hat and said, "now for the final touch." She couldn't hide the smile that spread across her face as she stared at her FBI partner dressed in a full cowboy outfit. The scientist was wearing a 50's style outfit and matching hair style. Halloween had come round once again and the group had decided to go to local club, _The Viper Room_. Fancy dress was compulsory. Of course. She couldn't wait to see what the others looked like. They'd invited Trinity and James as well even though Booth hadn't seemed too happy about it. In fact, he hadn't seemed too happy about the fact that James was there at all. Brennan had hoped that a Halloween party would cheer him up. So far it hadn't worked. They were stood in Booth's apartment having a quick drink before they left and waiting for Trinity to get ready. When she finally emerged, Brennan understood why it had taken her so long to get ready. She was dressed as an Egyptian princess, complete with a black wig and jewellery. "So what do you think?" she asked as she came in. That is until she caught sight of Booth and started laughing hysterically. Booth pulled a face but then smiled and playfully ran towards the two women. The trio collapsed in a heap on the floor, giggling. Well, Booth was more laughing than giggling. They were interrupted by the creaking of a door opening. Trinity lay on her back and being squashed by Booth, could just make out a pirate stood in the doorway. "I'm sorry, did I miss the party?" Apparently the pirate was Scottish. "James!" The Egyptian princess struggled to escape from underneath Betty Boop and John Wayne whilst keeping her wig in place. James was dressed in full pirate costume with a tri-corner hat and bandana. He even had a sword and gun in his belt. And he had grown a moustache and goatee to complete his outfit. When he spoke next, his Scottish accent disappeared entirely and he became a drunken English pirate. "I was going to go straight to the club, but I didn't want to go on me onesy, savvy?" Trinity smiled and hugged him. "That's a great outfit James," said Brennan getting to her feet.

"Yeah, it's great," said Booth half-heartedly. Actually, he thought that James' costume was a lot better than his but apparently the Scottish put in a lot more effort when it came to Halloween. Trinity grabbed a small gold bag off the counter and started to root through it. James peered over to try and see what she was doing. All he could make out in her bag was a mirror, a cell phone and… a gun. _Hmm, I think I'll stay away from that one,_ he thought. Eventually, she emerged with some form of make-up that turned out to be eyeliner. The scary thing was that when she'd removed the eyeliner lid, she started to walk towards James. "There's just one more thing you need."

Loud music, people dancing in public. Everything Booth hated. But then he spotted the bar. Trinity watched as her ex-partner stumbled over to the bar and sat down on a stool. Brennan and James were talking to a large cat, a gangster and a member of the mafia aka. Angela, Zack and Hodgins. James now had a rather large amount of eyeliner on to complete his image. The strange thing was, it suited him. Trinity joined Booth at the bar. "And can I have a Southern Comfort and Lemonade for my friend here, "he asked the barman. Before Trinity's drink had even arrived, Booth's whisky had disappeared. "Seeley," she said, "please try and remember who you work for. You can't drink too much." He just looked at her. "What went wrong Elle?" he asked. She frowned, not knowing what he meant. "With you and me," he explained, "we were good together. At work and elsewhere." Trinity sighed. This was going to be difficult for both of them. Plus, she could see James, out of the corner of her eye, glancing over every now and again. "You should know the answer to that," she replied, "It was your decision to end it. You broke my heart that day."

Booth just looked at her and said, "I loved you, y'know."

Brennan watched as her gang danced. James and Trinity looked hilarious because at some point during the night, she'd decided to put on his tri-corner hat and it didn't exactly suit her Egyptian outfit. As "Lipstick" finished playing, Brennan glanced at Booth. He looked slightly less than happy. God knows what he'd spoken to Trinity about. But she didn't want to know. That was their business. It was up to them when or if they told any… Brennan leapt up in the air, startling Booth. "I know this song!" she exclaimed.

"Shakira?" Booth sounded surprised. Of all the songs for Bones to recognise it would have to be "Hips Don't Lie." Before he knew what was happening, he was being dragged to the dance floor. "Bones, what the hell are you doing?"

"C'mon Booth. The one and only song all night that I know is on and you have to dance with me." He couldn't be bothered fighting with her any longer. Booth couldn't help but smile as Brennan wiggled her hips and sang along to the song. _"I'm on tonight, you know my hips don't lie and I'm starting to feel its right…"_

After hours of drinking and dancing to songs such as, "Every time We Touch", "Buttonz" and of course Booth's comical air-guitar to "Dance Dance", the group was gathering their belongings to leave. Brennan dangled round Booth's neck and sang to "Iris." _"And I don't wanna go home right now…"_

"Well you're going before you cause any more trouble" Booth told her. As she went to get her shoes from somewhere near the bar, she stumbled into a nearby table, knocking it straight into the bar and falling forward. Brennan glanced up and noticed that she'd almost hit her head. She giggled to herself. "Bones," Booth said, "C'mon on, get up. We've got to go." Before he had chance to realise what was happening, Brennan had picked up the bar stool that she'd knocked over and had started smashing it into the bar. "Bones!" Booth shouted running to grab her. James too ran to stop the crazy, drunken scientist from destroying the club. However when they approached, they noticed something inside the bar itself. Brennan pointed to it and said, "Bones." And sure enough, hidden inside the body of the bar was a skeleton almost bare of skin.

The crowd had cleared and police got to work sealing the crime scene off. Booth stomped around trying to examine the evidence himself, but he thought he'd better wait until the morning. After all, what good were three drunken scientists, a writer, a tipsy artist and two tired FBI Agents? "Can't you go anywhere without finding bones? I mean, what did that bar ever do to you?" he asked Brennan furiously. Her plan to cheer him up had failed miserably, she couldn't exactly help that criminals these days hid their victims in the most obvious places. Noticing an argument was about to break out Angela stood up and said "Uh, well…I better get these guys home", Hodgins wriggled uncomfortably as Zack slept with his head on his shoulder. "You coming?" she asked James "I'll stay with Trinity, thanks" he replied still with the English accent, though now he sounded genuinely drunk. Angela and Hodgins left almost dragging Zack behind them. "Bones!" he exclaimed grabbing her arm and pulling her back "You're supposed to be helping"

"Ugh. We're not at work yet"

"So you don't care?" he asked amazed "Not until I'm being paid for it" she shot back.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty" James said to Trinity. It was the morning after the Halloween party and James was awake, showered and dressed before his fiancée and he had nowhere to be. She was amazed at how cheerful the writer was; after all he was so drunk last night that he almost fell asleep in the taxi. "How is it that you can go out, get drunk and wake up bright and early in the morning with no complaints?" she asked rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "Runs in the family. I'm coming to work with you today; I figure you'll need some help"

"Uh, why?"

"Did you see the state of that lot last night" he said putting a piece of hair back behind her ear. Trinity sat for a moment staring into space until James said "Have you seen the time?" she rubbed her head and walked over to the clock "Ahhhhhh" she screamed grabbing her clothes "I'm late, I'm late"

"For a very important date" James added as Trinity stumbled into the bathroom moaning.

"Morning Shakira" Booth shouted, as he entered the Jeffersonian with Trinity and James. No reaction. He swiped his card and approached Angela and Brennan. "Yo, Bones" Brennan looked up, clearly tired and hung-over "I told you don't call me Bones!"

"As long as you are she who identifies bones, you shall be she who is known as Bones"

"Booth, you make less and less sense every time I talk to you" she groaned.

"That's why you love me" he joked, without noticing the cheeky smile Angela was giving James. Trinity was clinging onto James slightly, as she was probably trying to distract him from what he thought he saw in the alley. "Where are Hodgins and Zack?" Booth questioned his partner. Angela and Brennan looked at each other and giggled.

"They're in Ange's office, recovering" Brennan laughed.

"Are you feeling okay?" Booth asked, putting his hand on her head "Wait, you're still drunk aren't you?"

The scientist's eyes widened and she suddenly tried to looked serious "I am not! I'm tired that's all!" she protested at Angela's laughter. "Well you can't talk" she shot back at her best friend. "Okay, Angela, go sober up with Zack and Hodgins. And Dr. Brennan can come with us" Trinity ordered. Everyone followed the agents except the artist, who headed towards her office. "Uh, Trin. I think I should keep an eye on the squints" James said, dropping behind the others. "Yeah, I'll see you later" she replied, kissing him goodbye.

James entered Angela's office, expecting everyone to be fooling around and out of control. Much to his delight, the lights were off and Zack and Hodgins seemed to be asleep on her sofa. "Hey. Do you mind if I sit?" he asked.

"No. Sit"

"What time did you get in last night?"

"About three am this morning" she replied. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Hodgins and Zack woke up. "Will somebody please answer that damn phone?" Hodgins yelled, putting a pillow over his head. James reached into his pocket where the noise was coming from. "James" he answered "Lunch? Sure. Do want me to tell the others or not? No. Thanks, bye" he hung up. Zack and Angela stared at him expectantly. "I'm off to lunch" he told them, grabbing his coat.

"Anyone special?" Angela teased.

"Trinity, Brennan and Booth" he smiled and received a large smirk in return.

"Okay, what's going on here?" Zack questioned them. Angela explained about what she'd told James. Zack looked disgusted, but Hodgins couldn't help laughing.

"Ange, you are a genius," he said giving her a high five.

"I often get told that, but you know the amazing thing is, because of the way they're acting he has no reason to think otherwise."

"I want to see the look on their faces when they find out," Hodgins added.

"How did you get home last night?" James asked Brennan as she examined the remains.

"Booth took me, I think," she said, frowning in concentration.

"I'll bet he did," James mumbled to himself with a smile. Brennan turned her head sharply to face him and he stopped smiling. She turned back and finished bagging the bones. James flipped open his book and started to write.

"Feeling inspired, are we?" Booth asked approaching with Trinity.

"Yeah, I can thank the doctor for that," he said gesturing towards her. He regretted his words as soon as he realised she was on all fours directly in front of him, searching through the bar.

"I don't want to know," Booth frowned sitting on a chair on the opposite side of his partner.

"I think I've found something," she announced. She lifted her head up quickly, forgetting the bar was there and banging her head on it. Booth, Trinity and James all tried not to laugh and Booth helped her up out of the hole.

"As I said, I think I've found something," she repeated.

"What?"

"There are scratches on the inside of the bar panels."

"So the victim was sealed in here alive?" Booth asked. Brennan nodded and wiped the dust of her trousers.

"Nice, how about some lunch?" Trinity said.

"I know somewhere we could go," Booth suggested.

Brennan, Booth, Trinity and James slid into their seats in the diner, with Trinity opposite Brennan and Booth opposite James.

"Did you have fun last night?" Trinity asked Brennan as their coffee arrived.

"From what I've heard, I did."

"Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say we enjoyed watching you're dancing," James added. Booth frowned at him and attempted to kick him, but his partner's legs were in the way.

"Ow," she said.

"Sorry, Bones," he apologised looking down at his feet. James smiled at the agent's embarrassment.

"Do you two come here often?" the writer broke the silence, picking up his coffee.

"After every case," Brennan replied.

"It's nice that you have each other," James said, "I mean you're work seems really hard." Booth and Brennan looked at each other and then back at James with wide eyes.

"What?" Brennan asked almost choking on her coffee.

"We're not together," Booth laughed.

"But Angela said you were."

"Angela! I'm going to kill her."

"I have a better idea," Trinity said with a smile.

"No, Booth this is a ridiculous idea. I'm not doing it," Brennan argued. He just smiled and wrapped his arm around her as they walked into the doors of the Jeffersonian. Angela turned round to see them walk in with Trinity and James behind them.

"Just play along, Bones. It's time for her to get what she deserves," he said. Though his voice sounded annoyed he wore a wide, convincing smile. He pulled his arm out from round her waist, pretending that they had just noticed Angela watching.

"Did you have a nice lunch?" the artist asked, still shocked at what she'd just seen.

"Yeah, it was nice," Brennan sighed, glancing at her partner.

"Nice, eh?"

"Fine, Booth. It was better than nice," she added, nudging him. Angela couldn't believe what she was seeing. Everyone stared at her expectantly. "Have you got the remains or not?" Brennan asked, snapping the artist back to reality.

"Uh, yeah," she replied.

"Hodgins, Zack," the anthropologist yelled through the lab. Everyone next to her covered their ears and Zack and Hodgins walked slowly out of Angela's office, cringing at the light.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan," Zack groaned.

"Come on. We have work to do," she replied, swiping her card and bouncing up the stairs to the main platform. The rest of them slowly followed her.

"There are a significant number of broken bones," Brennan said, pulling on a pair of gloves.

"Show me," Booth said gently, before leaning over her shoulder.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she whispered.

"Just show me."

"Here on the ribs and on the wrists," she pointed to them. Angela watched excitedly as he slid his arm down Brennan's back. She let out a small squeak and slapped her hands over her mouth as everyone looked at her.

"Something wrong, Ange?" her friend asked innocently.

"That," she replied pointing to Booth's hand.

"What's wrong with that, Ange?" he said, leaning his head against his partner's. She looked around the group and realised that only Zack and Hodgins seemed remotely surprised.

"Trick or treat," Booth whispered, letting go of Brennan. Angela just gave them a smile and shook her head.

"There is no way I deserved that."

"After what you told me, you deserve more than a prank," James pointed out, getting up on his writing beam.

"Yeah well I was trying to make things a bit more interesting around here," she explained, "and everyone knows that you two…" She stopped mid-sentence when Brennan began to glare at her.

"Never mind," Angela said, walking away. Trinity laughed at Brennan's embarrassed expression.

"What?" Booth asked, confused.

"Oh God, Seeley," she said, "Why are men so bloody oblivious?"

"Hey, standing right here," James said, indignantly, stepping out from behind her.

"I didn't mean you," she said, softly.

Booth muttered something under his breath that Trinity was glad she couldn't hear properly.

"Don't you have some work to be doing?" she asked, sharply.

"Yep, same work as you, sweetheart," he replied, sarcastically. James just stood there for a moment, feeling uncomfortable while the two agents scowled at each other.

"For goodness sake you two!" James shouted, startling everyone, "can you not just get along like normal people?" With that, he stormed off and as Trinity attempted to follow him, Booth grabbed her arm to stop her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, angrily, "What makes you think you can even touch me anymore?"

Her tone of voice was so spiteful that it hurt Booth. He took a deep breath and looked at Trinity. He would have done anything for her once upon a time and now all she wanted to do was hurt him.

"We've got work to do," he said, gruffly, turning and walking away.

Trinity sighed and followed him out to his SUV which was parked outside. As she sat in the seat next to him, she noticed that Booth was annoyed. Her fault as per usual. She couldn't understand him anymore. He would fly off the handle at anything, especially James and now he liked this Dr Brennan but he would deny it at every opportunity. It didn't make sense.

"Seeley," she said, softly.

"What?" he said, without even taking his eyes off the road.

"What's happened to you?" Trinity asked him. She sounded concerned.

"Me?" he said, surprised, "I'm not the one who's changed, Elle."

"Oh really," she said, "you never used to be this aggressive and the Seeley that I knew never hid his feelings when he liked someone." Booth looked at her.

"That was because I was with you," he said, quietly, "I could never hide how much I loved you. And I still can't."

Trinity started to say something but stopped.

"Brennan's just a friend," he continued, "a close friend but still just a friend. And the reason I've been so aggressive, as you put it, is because of James. Because he seems to have replaced me in your life."

"No one could replace you, Seeley," Trinity told him, "I love James with all my heart but he's not you. He never will be." He looked at her for a minute before indicating and pulling off the road. They pulled in at the car park of the club and as Trinity went to open the door, Booth grabbed her hand again.

"Booth, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Not hiding my feelings," he told her before kissing her.

All the memories of when they'd been together came flooding back to him and he didn't want to let go. He'd missed her so much without even realising it.

Brennan sighed as she leant against the wall of the club and pulled off her gloves. "I think that's everything Dr Brennan," Hodgins told her as he closed up his examination kit. He'd been gathering particulates from the inside of the bar and it was a nice change for him to be out of the lab. They couldn't exactly have brought the bar with them though. Brennan had no reaction to what he'd said, she was just staring out of the window.

"Dr Brennan?" he said, standing up and walking over to her. She still said nothing and as he approached the window, he spotted Booth's SUV outside. Before he could see anything else, Brennan moved him out of the way and said, "Okay Hodgins. Let's go."

By the time they'd made their way outside the club, Trinity and Booth were getting out of the car.

"Hey Bones," he greeted the scientist, to which he got no response.

"I said 'hey Bones'," he repeated waving his hand in front of her face. She shoved his hand away and walked past him. Trinity was still stood by the SUV and as Brennan got near to her, she whispered, "James is too good for you."

Trinity stood there speechless. From the look on Booth and Hodgin's faces, she'd guessed they hadn't heard anything. That was something, but she had a horrible feeling that Brennan had seen something she shouldn't have. Something that in Trinity's mind should never have even happened. She glared at Booth before getting back in the car. Booth turned to look at Hodgins and the entomologist just shrugged.

The afore mentioned writer was sat outside the Jeffersonian, having a cigarette. He'd been trying to quit because Trinity didn't like it but at the moment, he didn't really care what she thought. She'd been acting so weird since they'd arrived in America, especially around Booth. James just wanted to go back to Scotland and be the way they used to be. He wanted to ask her to marry him without any other distractions and that couldn't happen here. They were only supposed to be there for a few weeks but Trinity's bosses had been hinting that it may be more permanent.

'God,' he thought, 'it would kill me, staying here.'

His thoughts were interrupted by Booth's SUV pulling up at the front of the building. Hodgins, Trinity and Brennan got out of the car and drove away. Trinity and Hodgins walked straight past where James was sat and didn't even notice him. Brennan, however, did and she sat down next to him. She raised her eyebrow and indicated the cigarette and he sighed and stubbed it out.

"You wouldn't believe how bad that is for your health," she told him.

"There are worse things," he told her, sitting back on the bench.

"Are you okay, James?" she asked, concerned. This guy seemed far too nice to be with someone like Trinity. She hadn't known the agent long but she could already tell that she was the type of person that used people. Brennan felt this strange urge to protect James from Trinity; she didn't want to see him hurt. Then again she didn't want to see herself hurt either and having feelings for Booth was a sure way of getting hurt.

"I'm fine," he said, "just feeling a bit neglected."

"You too?" she said, with a smile.

"When Booth and Trinity are together, they don't seem to even notice anyone else," he told her.

"Well there's not a whole lot we can do about that is there?" she said.

"We could always have a secret affair," he suggested, "that might make them notice."

For a second, Brennan looked horrified, but when James smiled, she realised he was joking. "I doubt it would provoke a strong reaction," she replied. James smiled at her again. This scientist was friendlier than she was given credit for.

"The victim is male, Caucasian. Late teens," Brennan explained as she examined the skeleton in front of her.

"Late teens?" Trinity asked, horrified.

"Yes, late teens," Brennan snapped at her, "People can still be killed before their twentieth birthday y'know." Trinity raised her eyebrows. Normally, it wasn't so easy to provoke a reaction from the scientist but she seemed quite snappy today. 'Still hung-over,' she thought to herself.

"Anyway, Bones," Booth intervened, "anything else, like say, a cause of death?"

"I'm not sure," she said, turning back to the corpse, "but I think he was stabbed. Several times. There's an indication on the spine that he was stabbed by something fairly long and pointed."

"So, what, we're looking for a sword then?" Booth asked, confused.

"How many people do you know that have swords?" Brennan asked him.

"Actually, I have several at home," a voice from above them chimed in. The group looked up and spotted James sat on the beam above them, playing with a piece of thread.

"What on earth are you supposed to be doing up there?" Trinity asked the writer.

He dropped one end of the thread down to her and held onto the other end. As she caught it in her hand, he slid something down it, which landed in her hand. Glancing down, she realised it was a small diamond ring.

"What's this all about?" she asked, surprised.

"What do you think it's about?" he said, jumping down from the beam.


End file.
